Monitoring projects are being carried out for many species, one of which is the land crab. Little information is known about the ecology, distribution and conservation status of the land crab and this deficiency in biological data restricts effective conservation. Evidence does indicate that, since humans first settled on Ascension, there has been a considerable reduction in the number of land crabs and the population as a whole may be ageing. It is likely that these declines have been caused through a variety of factors such as direct killing by humans and through invasive plants modifying habitats. In order to address the lack of data, “Operation Land-crab” was set up in 2013, as part of the Darwin Initiative Biodiversity Action Plan project.

A land crab sign placed on the road at a key land crab migration point.